In this episode, my guest is Nolan Williams, M.D., a triple-board-certified psychiatrist, neurologist and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. He is also the director of the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab. We discuss clinical applications of brain stimulation, behavioral protocols and novel drug treatments to halt and reverse mental health disorders, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We first explore the neural circuits for self-identity and mood and stress control. We then cover Dr. Williams’ work using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to treat depression, trauma, PTSD and other mood disorders. Next, we dive into the history, biology, modern use and safety margins of various psychedelics, including MDMA, LSD, ketamine, ibogaine, ayahuasca and psilocybin, as well as cannabis and the use of SSRIs in both adults and children. Finally, we discuss behavioral treatments for mental health disorders, including sleep and sleep deprivation, light exposure, exercise and training to control the brain–heart rate pathways. Regardless of age, anyone interested in mental health should benefit from the incredible breadth and depth of Dr. Williams’ knowledge and the clarity with which he conveys that information. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman InsideTracker: https://www.insidetracker.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/huberman ROKA: https://www.roka.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Huberman Lab Premium https://hubermanlab.com/premium Social & Website Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Twitter: https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://hubermanlab.com/neural-network Dr. Nolan Williams Stanford Profile: https://profiles.stanford.edu/nolan-williams Brain Stimulation Lab: https://bsl.stanford.edu Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=i4WyrcYAAAAJ&hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/nolanrywilliams LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-williams-0802a324 Articles Adjunctive triple chronotherapy (combined total sleep deprivation, sleep phase advance, and bright light therapy) rapidly improves mood and suicidality in suicidal depressed inpatients: An open label pilot study: https://bit.ly/3CJCWiv Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse: https://bit.ly/3fJPjSI Books Breaking Open the Head: https://amzn.to/3fVqbIG Other Resources Brain Stimulation Lab – Ongoing & Upcoming Studies: https://bsl.stanford.edu/clinical-trials Magnus Medical: https://www.magnusmed.com Timestamps 00:00:00 Dr. Nolan Williams, Brain Stimulation & Depression Treatment 00:03:31 Huberman Lab Premium 00:04:42 InsideTracker, Eight Sleep, ROKA 00:08:37 Momentous Supplements 00:09:16 Depression, Risk Factors, Emergency Psychiatric Treatments 00:15:11 The Brain-Heart Connection, Vagus Nerve, Prefrontal Cortex 00:17:51 Right vs. Left Brain Hemispheres & Mood Balance, Connectome 00:22:34 Heart Rate & Depression, Behavioral Interventions, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) 00:33:02 Prefrontal Cortex & Cognitive Control, TMS 00:37:46 AG1 (Athletic Greens) 00:39:00 Belief/Identity “Rules”, Re-scripting, TMS & Talk Therapy 00:45:49 Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, TMS & Depression Treatment 00:48:36 Cingulate Cortex & Emotion, Dissociation & Catatonia 00:54:27 Ketamine, the Opioid System & Depression; Psychedelic Experience or Biology? 01:03:42 SSRIs, Serotonin & Depression; Childhood, Chemical Imbalance or Circuit? 01:13:58 Memories & “Rule” Creation; Psilocybin & “Rule” Resolution 01:21:00 MDMA & Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Treatment, Psilocybin & Depression Treatment 01:24:12 Is MDMA Neurotoxic?, Drug Purity, Dopamine Surges, Post-MDMA Prolactin 01:30:38 Psilocybin, Brain Connectivity & Depression Treatment 01:34:53 Exposure Response Prevention: “Letting Go” & Depression Treatment 01:41:23 Normal Spectrums for Mental Health Disorders 01:45:35 Ibogaine & “Life Review”; PTSD, Depression & Clinical Trials 01:57:16 Clinical Use of Psychedelics 02:01:59 Ayahuasca, Brazilian Prisoner Study 02:06:55 Cannabis: THC, CBD & Psychosis, Clinical Uses 02:14:52 Personal Relative Drug Risk & Alcohol 02:20:42 Circadian Reset for Depression, Sleep Deprivation, Light 02:28:43 Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy (SNT) Study 02:34:25 Space Learning Theory & TMS Stimulation 02:45:35 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Huberman Lab Premium, Neural Network Newsletter, Social Media Disclaimer: https://hubermanlab.com/disclaimer